If Only
by bookworm42x
Summary: Jane Spektor was forced into the magical world when she was eleven years old. As she grows up, she has to deal with her family falling apart, a Dark wizard on the loose, and she may be in love with her best friend...also Rose/Scorpius and Albus/OC.
1. First Year: Eleven Years Old

It was a cool, windy day, perfect for flying a kite. But Jane Spektor wasn't flying kites. She was taking a train to a school for wizards and witches.

It had taken some time for her family to get used to the idea. After all, growing up Jane had been almost normal. There were always those queer little accidents that nobody could explain, but those were overlooked. And one day they had simply received a letter out of the blue (from an _owl, _too! The droppings were all over the place, and Mrs. Spektor was incredibly distressed), saying that Jane was a witch ('That's not a very nice thing to say,' Jane's sister, Caprial, had said at first) and that she had a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And a chaperone, a big man that looked like a grubby Father Christmas had taken her to an amazing place where she bought her school-things-Diagon Alley, was it called? Yes, that was it.

Things were happening much too quickly for quiet, practical Jane's liking.

"Jane, dear, where's your platform? See, darling, there's Platform Nine, and there's Platform Ten...but no Platform Nine and Three Quarters..."

Jane nodded. Her mother and all of her siblings had come to see her off. Little Caprial, a three-year-old, fifteen-year-old Phillip, thirteen-year-old Samuel, thirteen-year-old Guinevere (or Gwin, as they liked to call her: she was Sam's twin), and the new baby, Neda.

"Perhaps it was all a cruel joke," Mrs. Spektor said thoughtfully. "But no, no, that can't be. That big man with the white beard showed us the stuff himself."

Jane's family had taken to calling magic 'the stuff.'

"What could it be, Mum?" Gwin asked.

"Maybe _we _just can't see it, because we're not the stuff," Sam suggested.

"Can _you _see it, Janey?" Caprial asked.

Jane was about to shake her head when she saw a large, redheaded family, all pushing trolleys. Several of them had owls like the one that brought her her Hogwarts letter, and a girl with bushy red curls was chatting animatedly with a dark-haired boy who had alarmingly green eyes...and she said something about _Platform 9 and Three Quarters._

"Yes, Cape, I can see it. I'll be going now."

"Oh, Jane!" Mrs. Spektor said tearfully, hugging her eleven-year-old daughter.

"I'll be home before you know it, Mum. Bye, Phillip, Sam, Gwin. Cape." She kissed her elder siblings on their cheeks, and swung her favorite little sister in the air. "Neda." She kissed the baby's fuzzy forehead. "Good-bye." She waved again, and started to follow the family of the girl who was talking about the platform.

"Excuse me." Jane tapped the girl on her shoulder.

"Yes?" Jane noticed that she was covered in freckles, and had kind, coffee-colored eyes.

"D'you know how to get onto the platform?"

She laughed. "Of course, who doesn't? Oh, you must be Muggle-born. I'll show you how to get on...once the rest of my family's gone. That rhymes! Takes a while, that's why we got here early. Rose Weasley." She held out her hand, and Jane shook it, a little startled.

"Bloody hell, Rosie, she looks like-what's the Muggle expression Aunt Hermione's always using-"

"A deer in headlights?"

"Yeah!"

"I haven't introduced you! This is my cousin, Al...Al Potter." Rose seemed to be a little hesitant about using Al's last name, but Jane didn't think much of it. "Louis, get a move on!"

A boy of about thirteen was loitering by the barrier between 9 and 10. Jane suddenly noticed that most of the family had disappeared.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Louis said with a scowl. Jane gulped. He had messy blond hair, an arrogant countenance, and sparkling grey eyes, that seemed to be endless... "No need to be in such a hurry, Rosie." He smiled, and ran through the barrier.

Jane blinked. _Through _it?

"Insufferable," Rose grumbled.

"That's another one of your cousins?" Jane asked.

"Yes, that's Louis. He's a bit of a-what should I call it, Al?"

"Man slag."

"That's it. Perfect. Now, let's go through the barrier, it wouldn't do to miss the train our first year." Rose pushed her trolley through the barrier-and she was gone.

"Oh my God!" Jane exclaimed.

"It's not so hard, really. James told me once that if you're too nervous, it takes you somewhere else, and you get eaten by trolls. But he was just kidding," said Al absentmindedly, ignoring Jane's shocked expression. "If you want, you can go before me."

"No thank you," she said, fixing her eyes on her trainers.

"Really. Go. Or...I'll push you!" There was a mischievous glint in Al's green eyes.

"I'll-I'll go, I'll go." Jane closed her eyes and pushed her trolley, running, and running, and running, preparing to crash into solid brick...but she never did. _I've been running for much too long, _she thought, and opened her eyes. She saw the sign that read 'Platform Nine and Three Quarters,' and smiled.

Jane Spektor looked to be quite a shy creature. She didn't look particularly special, with her dark brown hair in two braids and black eyes framed by long, thick lashes. Just normal. But she wasn't normal: she was a _witch. _She was _the stuff. _And she knew she was going to love Hogwarts from the moment she saw that red steam engine.

"Jane! Over here! We're boarding! And you need to meet Maxwell!" Rose waved her over.

"It's Max," shouted an unfamiliar, laughing voice. Jane gave her trunk to the footman and ran over to Rose, Al, and another boy. The new boy was tall and lanky, and bore messy dark hair similar to Al's and brown eyes. _He has freckles too_, Jane thought.

"This is Maxwell Finnigan, our stupid family friend. He really just tags along." Rose elbowed him.

"Max," he corrected. "It's Max."

"Jane," she said quietly.

"Let's get on the train, James and Fred are coming over here."

"James is Al's brother, and Fred's our cousin," Rose explained to Jane.

Two second years were running towards them. Jane, Max, Rose, and Al pretended not to see them, and hurried onto the train to lock themselves in a compartment. They were laughing like idiots, before they noticed that the compartment was already occupied by a blond boy with gray eyes. He looked almost exactly like Louis. _But not as breathtaking, _Jane thought to herself.

"Hello, Weasley," said the boy, looking at Rose.

"Let's find another compartment, I don't want to sit with_ Malfoy_," Rose spat, her ears red.

"Have it your way," Malfoy drawled.

The four first years filed out of the compartment, and soon found a new one.

"Who was that?" Jane asked, as they bought fabulous magical sweets from a witch with a trolley full of them.

"Scorpius Malfoy," Al responded, when Rose only looked out the window. "Uncle Ron, Rosie's dad, says that his family's a bad lot. We met him at Flourish and Blott's, and apparently his dad told him the same thing about us. Rosie doesn't like him."

"I _loathe _him," Rose blurted. "He's arrogant, vile, rude, cocky—"

"—we don't need a list of '_100 reasons why I hate Scorpius Malfoy' _again," Max interrupted. Rose glowered at him. The rest of the train ride was spent by Rose sulking, Jane reading, and Al and Max playing Exploding Snap.

When they had changed into their robes and climbed off of the train, the first years climbed into boats that held two. Jane was paired with Max, who teased her about her childish braids. Finally, they fell into silence, and the only noise was their oars making ripples as they pushed against the water.

"James said there's a giant squid in the lake," Max remarked.

Jane screamed.

"Yer all right back there?" said the man who Al had said was called Hagrid.

"We're fine," Max replied. "You didn't have to scream like that, Jane."

Jane didn't say anything, but for the rest of the boat trip, every sound seemed to be a lurking tentacle in her mind.

"Look, the castle!" Max pointed out. Jane gaped. It was a huge stone fortress, with four intimidating towers, incredible grounds, a forest...it was nothing like anything she'd ever seen before. "Cool, huh?" her companion asked.

"Yeah," Jane breathed.

The first years were shepherded into a large stone room, where they were spoken to by a tall, ancient woman with a stern, thin face and pure white hair drawn into a tight bun at the top of her head.

"I am Professor McGonagall," she said in a clear voice. Jane was startled: she had been expecting a fragile croak. "I am to be your Headmistress during your seven-year education at Hogwarts. Now, when the time comes—it is very soon now—you will walk in a single file line in the alphabetical order of your surnames into the Great Hall for your Sorting. Each of you will be sorted into one of four Houses. While you are at Hogwarts, your House will be like your family. At the end of the year, a House Cup will be awarded, based on the number of points in each House. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any _rule-breaking, _and you will lose points. There are four Houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin...oh, is it time, Sir Nicholas?"

Many of the first years jumped, including Jane, for a pearly white figure had just floated through the wall.

"It's a ghost!" Rose hissed in Jane's ear. "My mum told me about him. Nearly Headless Nick."

"How can he be _Nearly Headless_?" Jane whispered back.

"Half an inch of skin and sinew holding his neck on," Scorpius Malfoy told her, eavesdropping on their conversation. Rose glared at him.

"You're gross," Jane told him, disgruntled.

"Just saying," Scorpius replied with a shrug.

"Miss Spektor, Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, I hope it will not trouble you too much to be silent."

Jane gulped, and exchanged nervous glances with Rose. _In trouble with a teacher, and it isn't even the first day of school yet!_

"Let the Sorting ceremony begin." Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and the great oak doors flew open, revealing a hall with four tables, at which too many students to count sat. There was one High Table, where the staff were to dine. Thinking about dinner made Jane's stomach grumble, which didn't help her anxiety about the Sorting.

"It's nothing to worry about, really," said a blond girl behind her. "It's just putting a Hat on. My sister says that the Sorting Hat whispers some things in your ear and then shouts out what House you'll be in."

"Valentina Aesalon."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Atticus Aymselowe."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Honora Bobbin."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Fancora Cadwallader."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Alexander Duvall."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Troy Eldritch."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Madison Everard."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Maxwell Finnigan."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Jane stopped listening after the F's. Al was Sorted into Gryffindor, and ran towards his cousins with a maniacal grin on his face. Scorpius was Sorted into Slytherin (Rose gave a derisive snort and said 'I knew it!' to the person in front of her in a hushed voice). Before she knew it, Professor McGonagall was calling _her. _

"Jane Spektor."

"Good luck," said the blond girl behind her quietly.

Jane walked slowly up to the stool. The Sorting Hat fell and covered her eyes. Terror overcame her.

"_Clever girl...logical, intelligent. Stoical. I could put you in Ravenclaw and get away with it, couldn't I? Nobody would doubt my choice...I really should...but something tells me it's not right, and my spirit is too selfish not to go with my instincts. Yes, you would do very well there...good luck, my dear. _GRYFFINDOR!"

Jane was stunned as she gave the Hat to the blond girl, whose name was Bianca Stainwright, and walked robotically towards the Gryffindor table to sit between Max and an empty seat.

"Nice job making Gryffindor," Max told her. "You're really one of us now." He spit on his palm, and held it out to her for shakes. Jane grinned, recognizing this method of initiation from Phillip and his mates. She spit on her own palm, and shook Max's.

"You're both disgusting," said Madison Everard, who sat in front of them.

"Rose Weasley."

Rose pushed her bushy red curls out of her face, and walked up to the Hat, her face somewhat resigned. Her Sorting took almost five minutes, when the Hat finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Her face lit up into a grin, and she ran to sit beside Jane as Adrian Zabini was Sorted into Slytherin.

"It wanted to put me into Hufflepuff at first, but I was arguing with it, I said no, I wanted to be in Gryffindor with my friends and my cousins, and it said it was my choice, but that I might do better in Hufflepuff, and I told it very nicely that that was a ridiculous idea, and _finally _it put me here..." Rose prattled on.

A few hours later, after they had feasted on all sorts of foods, a tall girl led them up marble staircases to a portrait.

"Why are we here?" Jane asked her new friend, Bianca Stainwright.

"This is the Fat Lady," Bianca explained.

"Isn't that a bit insensitive?"

"Oh, no. She's been called that for centuries. Listen to the prefect, she'll tell you."

"You better have been paying attention, first years, because that route will become almost as important as the way to your classes. Tell the Fat Lady the password, and she will admit you into the Gryffindor common room. The password changes every Tuesday. You can get the password from either me or my fellow prefect, who's dealing with a few—erm—misbehaving third years. Ask for either of us at the prefects' headquarters from four o'clock to six o'clock each Tuesday, or when you see us in the hallways. If you miss the times or can't find us, that's bad luck for you, you'll have to find another Gryffindor who knows the password, all right? _Artlock,_" said the prefect to the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open, revealing a short tunnel. The first years shuffled through, and there was a chorus of _oohs _and _aahs. _The common room had rectangular glass windows covering the walls, and they seemed to be filled with twinkling stars. There were three fireplaces that seemed to be unattached from the window-walls, and the room was jam-packed with comfy chintz armchairs. There were two staircases at either side of the room.

"Girls, your dormitories is up the stairs twice on my left. Dormitory assignments will be posted on the doors. Boys, the same on my right. Off you go, and I don't want to hear any noise, or I'll be forced to take points, okay?"

Jane, Rose, and Bianca went up the stairs with the rest of the girls. They were assigned a dorm with two other girls named Evinn Quigley and Perenelle Scamander.

"Perry, we're in the same dormitory!" Rose shouted, embracing the girl with the white-blond hair. "Family friends," they both said at the same time.

"You do seem to have quite a lot of those," Bianca said to Rose.

"I'm going to bed," Evinn said with a yawn. "That treacle tart made me...tired..." And with that, she collapsed on the nearest four-poster, still wearing her robes.

The other three girls were quick to claim beds, leaving Jane with the bed by the window. She was asleep before her head had hit the pillow.

The next day, Jane showed an aptitude for Herbology, and Rose excelled in almost every class, much to Scorpius's displeasure. Al and Max were both great at DADA.

_Hogwarts is great, _Jane thought happily.


	2. Second Year: Twelve Years Old

A small, birdlike girl with two sleek black braids and freckles ran through King's Cross, practically flying as she went. Her family stood awkwardly near the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

"Sorry," Jane said. "I was looking for someone."

"Well, we'll see you next summer," Phillip said quickly, giving his little sister a hug. "Bye."

She wasn't shocked by his hurried attitude in the least. Ever since Jane had returned from Hogwarts, her Muggle family had been acting odd- except for four-year-old Caprial, her favorite sister, and one-year-old Neda, because the baby didn't know what wizards and witches were. _I suppose it's because I'm different, _Jane thought often. Sadness had overcome her in the summer, and she wanted nothing more to get away from the indifference of her family and perform magic again- or _the stuff, _as her family called it.

"Goodbye." Sam and Gwin looked eager to leave as Jane embraced Caprial. "I'm going to miss you, little bear." It had often been a joke between the sisters that Caprial was a little bear because of the tight hugs she gave.

"Bye, Mum, Sam, Gwin, Phillip. Bye, Neda." The baby gurgled as Jane pushed her trolley into the barrier.

"I was looking for you." Max popped up, running a hand through his messy brown hair.

"Tough. I searched for you on King's Cross."

"You think I would wait on King's Cross?" He snorted.

"Shut up. Look—there they are." Rose, Perry, Bianca, Evinn, and the three boys from Al and Max's dormitory were huddled near the express.

"Where's Al?"

"I don't know, I don't see him."

"There he is. With Malfoy and Zabini."

"Why's he talking to them?"

"I don't know."

Rose had turned around, and, upon seeing her cousin with 'those nasty Slytherin boys,' ran over to reprimand him.

"Oh, bloody hell," Max muttered. "Let's go."  
He and Jane darted to where Al, Scorpius, Zabini, and Rose stood.

"Yeah, we're friends," Al was saying. "What's the big deal?"

"You know what my dad thinks about him!"

"Last time I checked, Rosie, I was me, not Uncle Ron, okay?"

"Whatever. Talk to me when you get some better judgment." Rose ran back to her old group.

"I'll take care of her," Jane muttered to Max and Al. "Rose! Rose, wait up!"

Rose had already boarded the train with Bianca, Evinn, and Perry. The three boys were grumbling at being left alone, but Jane ignored them and dashed after Rose.

"He freaks me out, Jane," Rose confessed. "No, not Al. Malfoy. I hate him so much it scares me. But he's just so—so—"

"—arrogant, vile, rude, cocky. I know. Al and him are mates, though, and don't you want to get along with Al?" Jane's voice was cajoling, persuading, but contained no trace of malice.

"Yes, of course I do, but I don't want to be around that _thing_!"

"You don't have to. Just say to Al that you _accept _the friendship. You don't have to necessarily be completely fine with it, yeah? I know Al would miss talking to you."

Rose was silent for a few minutes, then said, "Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like Al?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I? You and he were the first people I knew at Hogwarts. Well, besides Hagrid."

"No, I mean _like _like him."

"Oh." Jane blushed. "Of course not. That's gross."

Rose seemed to be relieved. "Just checking. Let's go to the compartment where the others are sitting. I think Al's sitting with Malfoy and Zabini, but Max, Elliot, Norvel, and Donaghan will probably sit with us."

Jane nodded, but her thoughts were still reeling. _Me! Have a crush on Al! Ridiculous prospect._

"We've flying lessons today," Max said excitedly at breakfast. Rose scowled. She hated flying. They had it with the Slytherins, not to mention the fact that it made her sick to her stomach.

Jane liked flying. It wasn't her passion, like it was for Al and Max. Bianca had been training since she was seven, and was an amazing Chaser.

"And then they're holding tryouts next week!" the blond girl exclaimed now. "I'm ever so excited. I'm going to try out."

"We're in second year. You won't make the team," Rose snapped, clearly in a foul mood as she stormed away.

"Ignore her," Al said immediately. "She's just mad that everyone is so obsessed with Quidditch when _she _doesn't like it. I think I'll try out too."

Bianca smiled. "Of course _you'll _make it, Al. You're a better Seeker than your dad." She paused. "I think I'll go get on the pitch early. Anyone else in?"

"Me," said Jane and Max at the same time. They grinned at each other.

"Well, come on then."

"Oi, Jane," Max said as they were doing drills and waiting for Madam Hooch to arrive. "We should both try out for Beater. I heard Beatrice Wood complaining about how nobody good had signed up for Beater tryouts yet. The old Beaters—Victoire Weasley and Xander Godelot—they left last year. We could do it."

Jane nodded her agreement. "I don't know if we'll make it, but it sounds like fun."

And so it was. A week later, Bianca, Al, Max, and Jane all went down to the Quidditch pitch for tryouts. Only Al made it as Gryffindor Seeker, but the other three didn't care. They each made a solemn promise to try out in third year.


	3. Third Year: Thirteen Years Old

Max Finnigan loitered by the red steam engine. He had gotten considerably taller. His hair, although still untidy, fell in a different way. He waited for one of his best friends.

"Max!" A pretty girl waved from the other side of the platform. She, too, had gotten taller (but not quite as tall as him), and considerably thinner. Her dark hair was in a simple braid that snaked down to her waist. Not two braids, but one, and she had perfect bangs. She had more freckles now, and her brown eyes seemed to sparkle. "Over here, you dunce!"

They hugged. Max noticed that she smelled like apples. "You didn't write me as much over the hols," he said. Jane wrinkled her nose.

"Eurgh, your voice is all low now. I'm going to have to get used to that, yeah? Sorry. I was in Australia visiting my cousins. Didn't have as much time...oh, where are the girls? I expect Al's already sitting with Malfoy and Zabini."

"I'm gonna look for Norvel and Elliot."

"Oh...okay. I'll see you at the feast?"

"'Course."

Max found Norvel and Elliot's compartment easily (Donaghan was sitting with his girlfriend, a Hufflepuff named Valentina Aesalon).

"You saw Jane?" Elliot asked bluntly. Max nodded, and collapsed in the seat by the window, his head in his hands.

"Shite, shite, shite," he muttered. "My best mate is extremely attractive."

"We're signing up for Quidditch this year, aren't we?" Bianca asked Jane as they went to breakfast. "I haven't thought about it all that much. But tryouts are this morning."

"I completely forgot," Jane groaned. "Eat quickly, Bee."

Bianca grinned.

"Merlin, so many people are signing up this year!" Perry said, overhearing their conversation. "Evinn and I were going to try it out, weren't we?"

"But then I decided it was a barmy idea," Evinn interrupted.

"And I obviously couldn't do it without her, I'd freak out!"

Some of the Gryffindors laughed.

"Going down to the pitch, Jane?" Max asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'm coming." She smiled. "Bianca, hurry up!"

"Go on without me," Bianca waved. "I'll meet you there. I need to get my broom from the dormitory anyways...oi, Al! Wait up!"

"'I need to get my broom from the dormitory anyways,'" Jane mimicked as she walked down to the pitch with Max. "There's an excuse for 'I'm going to go flirt with Al.'"

Max laughed. "They're so blind. Half the school's betting on when they'll get together."

"Oi, Finnigan! Spektor! Get down here, tryouts are about to start!" Beatrice Wood, the sixth year Quidditch Captain, shouted.

Jane and Max did their tryouts together. Jane hit five out of five Bludgers. Max..._to be honest, _he thought to himself, _I was too busy staring at Jane. _He hit only three out of five. Bianca was coming down for her tryout when they started to walk back up to the castle.

"Brilliant job, Spektor. Can I talk to you for a minute, Finnigan?" Wood asked.

"Er, yeah. Okay."

"I'll see you in the common room," Jane told him, running up to greet Bianca.

"Here's the thing, Finnigan. I've heard about you. Last year, I saw you fly. I know you're better than that. Don't tell anyone about this conversation, because I'm not supposed to tell people right after their tryout...but you're on the team. You're on probation, though. Any staring at Spektor during practice, and I might have to find myself a new Beater, understand?"

"Jane has a spot too?" Max blurted out. "Blimey. This is excellent, really. 'Course I won't, I know what's at stake..."

"I know you do," Wood said, amused.

"Thanks! Seriously, thanks! I'm going to go tell—no I won't. Never mind. Thanks!"

The team list was posted that night.

_Gryffindor Quidditch Team of 2019- Captained by Beatrice Wood_

_Keeper- Beatrice Wood, 6__th__ Year_

_Seeker- Albus Potter, 3__rd__ Year_

_Chaser- Bianca Stainwright, 3__rd__ Year_

_Chaser- Miles Frobisher, 5__th__ Year_

_Chaser- Gemma Brocklehurst, 7__th__ Year_

_Beater- Maxwell Finnigan, 3__rd__ Year_

_Beater- Jane Spektor, 3__rd__ Year_

That year, the only game Gryffindor lost was the championship game, to Ravenclaw.

Why?

Their Seeker was taken down by an unattended Bludger, because the Beater was staring at a certain girl with a long black braid.

Not that Wood noticed.


	4. Fourth Year: Fourteen Years Old

November of their fourth year was exhausting. The homework was piling on. Jane, Rose, Bianca, Perry, Evinn, Norvel, Elliot, Al, and Max barely had any time to think. The group of Gryffindors spent all their time studying. Finally, Professor McGonagall decided that the fourth years and up needed a break.

"There will be a ball," she announced at dinner one night. "It will be held on Christmas Eve, for fourth years and up. However, if third years are invited by an upper classman, they may attend as well. This is no regular ball. It will be a costume ball—you are all required to wear costumes. Boys may ask girls as their—erm—date, but it is not mandatory. On the weekends leading up to the ball, students will be allowed to visit Hogsmeade Village to prepare their costumes. You may resume eating."

The girls began to chatter avidly, while the boys groaned.

_I hope Louis Weasley asks me, _Jane thought to herself secretly. She had watched the blond boy over the years, and decided that she fancied him well enough. He had had an abnormal number of girlfriends in the past, but one couldn't have everything. _And he is terribly attractive._

On the sixth night of December, Jane and Max went down to the kitchens for hot chocolate. The elves loved the two fourth years, especially Max. However, they ran into someone they did not expect.

"Oi."

James Potter and Fred Weasley were already in the kitchen, eating a beautiful chocolate cake.

Jane and Max decided to ignore the fifth years, and began their own conversation about when Al and Bianca were going to _finally _start dating. But James and Fred were insistent in talking.

"We have a nice betting pool in that," said Fred.

"Right now, we're saying they don't get together by the end of fourth year."

"So if those bastards get together, we're losing an awful lot of Galleons."

"How much?" Jane blurted out without thinking. She even forgot about ignoring them. "I mean, how many Galleons?"  
"About sixty," said James gruffly.

"Sixty?" Max's jaw dropped.

"You can bet too, if y'like."

"How much d'you want to put?" Fred asked.

"I can't believe you're betting on your little brother, and your cousin," Jane said, shaking her head.

"Shh, Jane. How's thirty Galleons?" Max asked. "If they get together by the end of our fourth year, you pay up."

"Thirty Galleons?" Jane screeched indignantly.

"Apiece," Max corrected.

"Done."

And with that, James and Fred left the kitchens.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Jane yelled as they walked back up to their dormitories.

"You'll wake Filch."

"I can't believe you!" she said in a furious whisper. "Damn you, Maxwell. You better believe you'll pay up for me if they don't get together, because being a Muggle-born, I don't _have _thirty Galleons to pay them!"

"Calm down," Max said as they sat down by the fire. "Y'know, we can do something about it."

"You mean...make them get together?" Jane said slowly.

"Exactly."

"But how?"

"We can peer pressure them into it. We'll make everyone _think _we're dating, and hang out with Bianca and Al as much as possible. That way, they'll have this idea in their heads about double-dating. They'll think about each other more. I'll start talking to Al more and more about asking Bianca out...because you know he's not confident enough to do it on his own. Once they get together, we break up our fake relationship and get our money from James and Fred."

Jane thought about it for a minute. "I like the way you think," she admitted. "When do we start our fake relationship?"

"Tomorrow, when you go shopping with Bianca, Rose, Perry and Evinn...just casually mention that I asked you."

"They'll go wild!" Jane giggled. "What will our costumes be?"

"We can go as that Muggle thing—you know, the racer bloke. The Muggles that live near me watch it all the time. He has some girlfriend who wears a pink dress...and it was adapted from something Japanese?"

"I know what you're talking about! Speed Racer and Trixie!"

"Yeah, that."

"It's brilliant. But...you have to _ask _me properly." Jane raised her eyebrows.

"What d'you mean?"

"Ask me to the dance, you dunce!"

"That's barmy."

"Do it, or I'll tell James and Fred that my part of the bet's off and you'll lose thirty Galleons."

"Is that blackmail?"

"_Max..._"

"Okay." He blushed. "Okay. Jane Spektor, will you go to the ball with me?"

It was almost impossible to discern Jane's bright red cheeks in the firelight the illuminated their faces. She nodded.

"Sorry, I don't believe I got a word," Max teased.

"In part of our mastermind plan, I resolve to say..._yes._" Jane laughed. "I'm going to bed. 'Night, Speed Racer."

"'Night, Trixie."

Max couldn't sleep that night. He simply sat awake in his four-poster listening to Norvel's snores with a wide smile on his face.

"Yes, I'm going to the ball with Max. What's the big deal?"

"It's just you! And Max!" Perry squealed. "I _knew _it was meant to be."

"You're such a sap," Evinn drawled, plucking another maraschino cherry from her drink and chewing on it. "Then again, Jane and Max _are _irritatingly adorable..."

"You and Max?" Rose said, her eyebrows raised. "Well, I suppose I like it."

"I'm so happy for you," Bianca said, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Now we just need to get Bianca a bloke," Jane teased, giving Rose a look.

"Everyone knows Al fancies her," Rose said breezily, mouthing _was that okay? _to Jane, who nodded.

"Al? Really?" Bianca's face seemed to brighten.

"You should ask him to the dance," Perry said persuasively.

"That's ridiculous. Me and Al?" Bianca seemed to find this all very funny, but her attitude dropped when she saw that her friends were completely serious. "The boys are supposed to ask the girls," she added lamely.

The other four girls raised their eyebrows skeptically, but said no more on the subject. All of them had dates except for Bianca. Perry was going with Elliot Inglebee, Evinn was going with Norvel MacDougal ('he's a bit of a prat, and awfully lazy, but I had to go with someone, didn't I?'), and Rose was going with Troy Eldritch, a shy Ravenclaw boy. All of them had costumes, as well, except for Bianca. The blond girl seemed a little dejected because of this, so her friends made efforts to cheer her up.

"C'mon, Bee, we're going to find you a brill costume," Perry said, slinging her arm over Bianca's shoulder.

"You should go as a pirate," Jane suggested.

"I bet my cousin would _love _that," Rose said with a humorous eye-roll.

"Cheer up, girlie," Evinn said in her ridiculous Australian accent. "In some ways, it's better to go alone. At least you won't have to dance with _Snivelly Norvel._" The girls laughed.

"Who said she was going alone?" Jane asked mischievously.

"Come off it," Bianca whined, giggling as they entered Madame Fletwock's Costume and Dress Shop.

The five fourth year girls left Madame Fletwock's completely satisfied with their choices.

The evening of the ball came faster than anyone had expected. Bianca was still upset about not having a date, but was going to the ball anyway. Al was still too shy to ask Bianca out, but was going to the ball because Max made him.

The boys waited in the Gryffindor common room for their dates to come down. Al had reluctantly let Troy, who was dressed in a Peter Pan costume, in. Al was in a Superman costume, Max in his Speed Racer costume, Elliot as a skeleton, and Norvel, much to Evinn's horror, in a gigantic, pink, fluffy bunny suit.

The girls had made better costume choices. Jane wore a tight, light pink turtleneck unitard that ended as booty shorts and had a little 'T' in magenta on her shoulder. She had let her curly, dark brown hair down for the occasion, and donned black knee-high boots. Rose had tamed her bushy red hair into an elegant knot, and wore a light blue nightgown, to dress as Wendy. Bianca wore a pirate lass's dress (which she had at first insisted was much too tacky, but had eventually been persuaded into by Perry). Perry and Evinn went as an angel and a devil.

"I don't think we're convincing enough," Max whispered in Jane's ear as they walked down to the Great Hall.

"You don't think we look enough like a couple?" she whispered back as they took their places around the dance floor.

"Not nearly enough."

"I might have to prove you wrong, Speed Racer." And before he could get another word in, Jane kissed him full on the mouth, attracting wolf whistles from people around them, and some jealous stares.

"How'd a geek like him land a stunner like her?"

"He's so cute, she doesn't deserve him."

"Lucky bloke."

The fake couple were oblivious to these snippets of gossip. Shock was reflected in each other's eyes. As soon as people had looked away, Jane ran out onto the grounds, closely followed by Max.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I don't know what made me do that."

"Don't be sorry," he replied.

"That was my first kiss," Jane confessed. "I was so scared about it. I've always been scared of commitment in general. That I'll be too awkward about it. Or when I go to kiss a bloke, I'll bodge it. I don't know—we'll bump noses, clash teeth, awful stuff."

"You don't have to be scared," Max said, helping her up. "You're an excellent snogger, Trix. After all...this is only to help Al and Bianca."

Jane seemed a little startled as they went back in to dance. "Yes...of course. Al and Bianca. And Louis," she added without thinking.

"Louis? You mean Louis Weasley?" Max asked sharply as he pulled her in to a waltz.

"I suppose you're the first person I've told. Don't look so shocked that I fancy Louis. You have no right," Jane teased. "This fake relationship of ours gets more benefits every day. It's winning us the bet with James and Fred...let's see, it's helping Al and Bianca get together, it's making Louis jealous, if he does fancy me at all...and I could say the same for you, Max. Any special girl?" She laughed. "I'm sure there is."

"Ew, cooties," Max joked.

"Don't make fun, I was being serious!"

"So was I." He smirked.

"Be that way." Jane pouted. "God, I'm hot. Shall we get drinks?'

"Of course, Your Majesty."

She giggled.

Scorpius Malfoy heard the entire conversation.

He didn't think much of it, though. He had more pressing matters on his mind. Like that insufferable Weasley, and her prat boyfriend, Eldritch.

Of course, she was insufferably beautiful. The only characteristics of hers he vaguely disliked were the freckles covering her skin like some sort of disease, her crooked teeth, and the fact that there was a gap between the two front ones. And even those were slightly endearing.

She was still Rose Weasley, his worst enemy. Not to mention the fact that Al, one of his best mates, would murder him if he knew that Scorpius so much as thought about Rose in that way.

_Since when did you start thinking of her as 'Rose?' _asked a sly voice in his mind. Scorpius shook his head to clear it, muttering, 'shut up. Shut. Up.'

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, Malfoy."  
There she was, of course. The Weasel herself, looking beautiful as always. Scorpius struggled not to roll his eyes.

"Talking to myself? I can't imagine what would give you that impression. Actually, Weasley, this might surprise you...I wanted to ask you—"

"Well, tell me what you want so I can get away to my _boyfriend_, who is much better company than yourself."

Scorpius froze. "Never mind."

"That's what I thought, Malfoy."And she was dancing with that ridiculous Eldritch faster than blinking.

_She wouldn't want to dance with me anyways, _Scorpius thought bitterly. _She hates me. And I hate her. Stupid Weasley. Stupid, beautiful Weasley._

After the dance, Rose, Bianca, Jane, Evinn, and Perry sat on their respective four-posters, massaging their feet and rejoicing in the fact that they were allowed to wear sweatpants at last.

"Merlin's...beard..." Perry sighed. "That was awful. I'm never going on a date with Elliot again. What a ponce."

"I'm never going on a date with _Troy _again," Rose vowed. "I dumped him at the end of the night. All he ever wants to talk about is literature."

"Then he'd be perfect for you, Rosie," Jane teased. "What?" she asked innocently when Rose glared at her. "I had a fun time."

"Same here," Bianca said, humming as she twirled her sleek blond ponytail around her finger.

"_You _were dancing with Max, and _you _were dancing with Al, both of whom are fairly decent blokes," Perry said pointedly.

"Oh, you guys think you can talk," Evinn groaned. "That damn bunny costume!"

The other four girls laughed. "I saw him stepping on your toes," Rose admitted. Evinn sat up immediately.

"_What_? And you didn't intervene? I can't take this betrayal. I'm going to bed." Evinn leaped under the blankets, and covered her head with her pillow. The rest of them fell asleep not long after.

It was a clear, sunny day in May, and Jane was studying by the Black Lake. Max came down and sat next to her, quizzing her for a while. He stopped abruptly.

"I know what you're thinking," Jane said gently. "They've got to get together soon. How long can this go on for? The snogging, and the hand-holding...There's only three weeks left until the summer hols, Max. We might as well pay James and Fred now."

"What's this? You going down without a fight?" He flashed her that familiar crooked smile.

"Yes." She was completely serious.

"You look upset, Trix."

Jane laid her head on Max's chest, and he hoped to Merlin that she couldn't hear his heart start to beat faster. _I'm such a fucking girl, _he thought to himself.

"I just don't know how I'm going to pay them," she said softly. "I thought this whole fake relationship was going to do it for sure. Nobody ever doubted that it was real, Max."

"Hey." Jane looked up. "Who said you had to pay them?"

She laughed. "Come off it."

"No, I mean it. Listen, we're not going to pay them if I have a say in it."

"We're not?"

"No." Max brushed her bangs out of her eyes—neither of them could tell why. It was obviously not part of the fake relationship façade, because there was nobody around. It was utterly real, and it scared both of them out of their wits, although both were too proud to admit it. "Let me take care of it. It's all going to be okay, you'll see."

The Gryffindor common room was nearly empty. The only people in it were extremely quiet. They were all reading, except for one boy, who couldn't seem to focus on his book.

"Fuck this," Max said, standing up. "Al, you fancy Bianca. Bianca, you fancy Al. Can't you bloody get together already?"

And with that, he stormed out of the common room, leaving a blushing Al and an embarrassed Bianca behind.

"He's just being stupid," Al blurted out.

"I know," said Bianca.

"Unless you—"

"Do you?" she interrupted.

"Do _you_?"

"Yes."

"That's good, then."  
An hour later, Al and Bianca walked outside, where all their friends sat under the beech tree by the Black Lake, rejoicing for the end of exams. Max's arm was around Jane, and Elliot was looking wistfully at Perry. It was Rose who noticed it first, and jumped up.

"You're holding hands."

"Are you—?" asked Jane.

Bianca nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

"This is brilliant!" Perry shrieked.

"Here we go again," Evinn said, rolling her eyes.

"Oi, why don't you all come to the Burrow this summer?" said Rose, clearly in a good mood.

"All of us?" asked Bianca. "Won't that be too much?"

"I'm sure Grandmum Molly won't care too much," Al said.

"I love how you care about your relatives," Bianca replied sarcastically, kissing him.

"Get a room," said Max, ruining the moment.

"You and Jane should talk!" Al retorted.

Both Max and Jane froze. They laughed along with everyone else, but they could see the expression in each other's eyes.

_What happens now?_

The last day of school.

Elliot, Norvel, Donaghan, and Al had already packed their bags and brought them down to the train, but Max was dawdling. Alone in his dormitory, he pointed his wand at various items to make them fly into his trunk. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the thin brunette girl enter his room until she spoke.

"I guess it's over now. The fake relationship."

"Yeah," was all Max could say.

"What are we going to tell everyone?"

"We'll write them over the summer hols, before we go to the Burrow," he told her. "Say we were drifting apart as a couple anyways. That we're better off friends."

"That we are," Jane said. She had been wearing her dark hair down rather than in its braid nowadays. That day, she wore Muggle clothes—tight blue jeans and a button-down white shirt, paired with sandals.

"We'll be fine, won't we, Jane?"

"Yeah."

Max turned around to look at her, and saw that she was much closer than he had presumed. He closed his eyes, expecting one last faux kiss. But he didn't get one.

Jane touched his cheek. It was a genuine action, completely unlike all the snogs and embraces they had shared around their friends. Somewhat like that one time under the oak tree when Max had pushed her bangs out of her eyes. It had been done out of her own curiosity and sadness, and her knowledge that such an exchange might never come to be again.

"Bye, Speed Racer," Jane whispered.  
When Max opened his eyes, she was gone.


	5. The 6th of July: Near Fifteen Years Old

It was a hot day when Jane Flooed to the Burrow. She hated the method of traveling, but it was the only way to get there. Her mother had been 'out' most of the time Jane had been home. Mrs. Spektor, previously known to her daughter as a modest woman, had destroyed that reputation completely. Mr. Spektor had died not long after Caprial was born. Mrs. Spektor had had Neda with her boyfriend whom she had expected to marry, a Muggle named Martin Farnsworth. However, it had recently come to Jane's attention that her mother and Mr. Farnsworth were not seeing each other anymore. Since then, Mrs. Spektor neglected her children and only lived for the bar scene and the men that came with it. Phillip had taken a scholarship and gone to college. Sam had also gotten a scholarship and was going to Oxford University in the fall. Gwin, meanwhile, had neglected her studies to care for Caprial and Neda.

"Jane! You're here!" Bianca embraced her. The blond girl had become excessively happy since she had started dating Al.

"Is Max here?" The words came out of Jane's mouth before she could stop them.

"Yes," Bianca said, wincing. "Sorry."

Jane managed a smile. "Oh no, there aren't any hard feelings. We just decided we were better as best mates."

"Well, at least _some _people are staying close. Rose and Al are fighting," Bianca explained when Jane looked confused.

"Why?"

"You'll see. Come downstairs."

They traipsed down three flights of stairs (as the building had a countless number of stories), and walked in on Rose shouting at Al, while Scorpius smirked behind him. Jane wondered how she hadn't heard the commotion before.

"You ridiculous little _prat _Albus Potter!" Rose shrieked. "I can't believe you! You know how much I loathe him! You knew I was staying here the only summer, the _one _time I stay here the entire summer, and you choose to invite _him_! Pompous, arrogant, cocky, disgusting, _man slag _Scorpius Malfoy! I can't believe you!" she repeated.

"He's my mate, Rosie," Al said, looking terrified.

"You think I give a rat's arse?"

"You should!" he replied, seeming to remember his part in the argument. "Sorry, you're just going to have to deal with it. Come on, Scor."

Al stormed out, Scorpius following in his footsteps.

"I'm going to hex him so badly," Rose growled, "he'll wish he'd never been b—"

"No, don't!" Jane intervened. "Really, it's not worth it. Malfoy's not worth it."

Rose glared. "Do you fancy him or something? Is that why you broke up with Max?"

Jane felt a slight pounding in her chest at the mention of Max, but it was ignored. _I fancy Louis. _

"Of course I don't, Rose, he's _Malfoy_! I just don't want you and Al to fight over rubbish."

Rose paused, then stuffed her wand back in the pocket of her skirt. "I guess you're right. As usual. Doesn't mean I'm going to be happy about it."

"Nobody expected you to be," said Bianca, relieved that Al wasn't getting hexed.

"On a more cheerful note, Jane, your birthday's in—what—a month and a day?"

"The seventh of August, yes."

"It'll be a good one, now that you're here," said a familiar voice from the doorway. The three girls spun around to see...

"Max?"

He was noticeably taller. Not as well-built as some of the blokes in their year, but with obvious muscles. His dark hair was messy but looked nice on him.

_Max is handsome, _Jane realised.

"Yeah, do I look like an alien or something?" he said, grinning as he hugged her.

"Not at all, just didn't realise you had already arrived," Jane said shakily. She knew that Bianca knew that she knew that Max was already there, and that her friend would surely do something to make her shock less noticeable.

"How did all this happen in a month?" Bianca asked.

"All...what, exactly?"

"You got hot," Rose said bluntly. Jane stifled her laugh.

"Well, thanks for the compliment." Max tilted his head to the side, reminding Jane of a peacock. She couldn't help it now—she giggled.

Perry and Evinn entered the room, and Jane welcomed a change in conversation.

"You'll be glad, Janey," said Perry breezily. "Louis is here, too."

"Really?" Jane felt her cheeks heat up. "That's interesting."

"Jane fancies Louis," Bianca informed Rose.

"He's a man slag," said Rose dryly. "Don't get too...attached to him." She exchanged looks with Max. Jane wondered what that _look _could possibly mean, and why Max's cheeks were flushed.

"I, er, don't think I am. It's really just a crush," Jane said.

"Mmhmm," Evinn murmured.

"Shut it."

"Didn't say anything!"

"Guess who's here for the summer?" Rose changed the subject. "Malfoy."

Max whistled. "Al invited him?"

"Yes, he did, the little twat."

"Well, this should be an interesting summer."

Jane was about to reply, when she saw a blond boy in the doorway.

"Rosie!"

"Louis," Rose said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "You're here."

But Louis's attention was already fixed elsewhere. "Jane. Always nice to see you," he said. his voice deepening, sounding cleaner, more mature. He grabbed her hand and encased in his two like a bird in a cage, kissing it quickly. Jane saw Evinn roll her eyes, but she was too thrilled.

_Max is right, _she thought to herself. _This certainly shall be an interesting summer. _

August 7th dawned bright and clear. Jane had been completely made up by Bianca and Perry (Rose and Evinn had been clearly uninterested to this sort of 'girly demonstration'). She still had her even front bangs loose, but her hair was knotted in a loose messy bun, with tendrils falling out strategically. Perry had tried to force her into a sequined white dress, but Jane had protested fiercely ('It's my fifteenth birthday, I want to be comfortable!'), and they compromised on tight blue jeans and a cropped, bright green shirt. It was a good birthday. Jane had received a broomstick polishing kit from Bianca, a complete set of Jane Austen books from Rose ('I've been wanting this for ages, thanks Rosie'), a box of Fizzing Whizbees from Al that was dented and clearly put together at the last minute, a Skiving Snackbox from Evinn ('Merlin knows I'm going to need this in my fifth year, it being O.W.L. year and all'), a signed Hippogriff High album from Perry, and a rather unexpected gift from Louis.

"Oi, can I talk to you for a second?" he had asked. "I want to give you your gift."

Jane, seeing that Perry was stifling her squeals, got out of the room as soon as possible. Louis was holding out a blue velvet jewelry box. _Damn, I really thought I'd get that Beater's bat this year, _Jane thought sadly to herself, but she pushed the contemplation away.

"Go on, open it."

Inside was a beautiful necklace. It was a thin gold chain, with a small, teardrop-shaped peridot hanging off of it.

Jane gulped. "It's gorgeous."

"Want me to put it on you?"

She nodded, shivering as she felt Louis's hands on her neck, fastening the necklace.

"Thank you. I love it," Jane told him.

"Jane—you know by now, don't you?"

"Know what?"

"I want to be with you," Louis said gently.

"How many girls have you said that to?" Jane said with a giggle.

"Just you." He shrugged. "So what's your answer?"

"Okay," she said happily, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Max froze in the doorway, holding his gift, a brand-new Beater's bat (Jane had wanted one of her own since they made the team) with a small note attached.

Happy 15th, Trixie. I was wondering if we could start again. Love, Speed Racer.

The note, the bat, all of it seemed so futile now as the image of Jane and Louis kissing was burned into his mind. He ran out of the house, dropping the bat on the porch (where it fell into some unknown crevice) and locking himself in Ron Weasley's broom shed where nobody could hear him.

After all, it wasn't manly to cry.  
*

"I'm sorry, Lou."

The sixteen-year-old blond boy pouted.

"Really, I am. I just want to go home before school, and...check on everyone."

"I thought you hated your family."

"Not hate," Jane said. "We're just drifting apart. Them being Muggles and all."

"I'll see you at Hogwarts, won't I?"

"Why wouldn't you, silly prat?" She laughed.

Max watched the couple, noticing how Jane threw her head back when she laughed and that the sound itself sounded like bells.

_I'm screwed, _he thought to himself, gritting his teeth as Jane gave Louis a goodbye snog. _Remember when you were on the receiving end of those? _a cruel voice in his head sneered. _Of course, she never really meant them._

Max saw Rose staring meaningfully at him.

"You should tell her," she said quietly.

Tell her what?

Max had nothing to hide from Jane.

Nevertheless, he watched her figure disappear into the green flames with a wistful look on his face.

"Nice to see you back," Gwin drawled. The once youthful, goofy girl from Jane's childhood was gone, replaced by a woman with bags under her eyes and a cigarette in her hand.

"Is that sarcastic?"

Gwin didn't reply.

"Where's Cape?"

"In the—"

"_Jane_!"

Seven-year-old Caprial, with her wild mop of curls and unique blue eyes with flecks of brown, was running full-speed out of the bedroom she shared with Neda and Gwin. She didn't look like most of the young children, little siblings of students, that Jane had often seen on the platform. She was skinnier—clearly Gwin hadn't had such a good time at work that she could feed Caprial, Neda, and herself. Clearly, the chubby four-year-old was the priority. Caprial was also dressed in a shabby old dress of Jane's that was too small for her.

"It's good to see you, little bear," Jane whispered, making her favourite little sister giggle. "Here, you take four pounds and run down the street with Neda, get some ice creams, all right?"

"Thanks, Janey," Caprial said, her beautiful eyes glimmering. "Neda! We're getting ice cream!"

"Really?" Neda asked hopefully. She had Mr. Farnsworth's blond hair, but Jane's mother's dark eyes.

"Yes, c'mon, we're going!"

Gwin slammed a bottle of what Jane knew was some sort of alcohol down on the counter as the door closed behind the two little girls.

"Damn it, Jane, I bet you love how you can visit for a _day,_ after being gone most of the_ year_, and still be their favourite sister, without having to do any work! I gave up my education and my life for those girls," Gwin said, struggling to control the volume of her voice.

"Gwin, they love you," Jane replied helplessly.

"We both know it's true," Gwin sneered. "You think you can walk in here, buy them ice creams and change their life! I work the day shifts, the night shifts, all these dodgy jobs just to feed them, and _you_, with your spiffy castle and nice life and _ridiculous bloody magic plants, _you fancy yourself so perfect as to—"

"It's not my fault they left, Guinevere!" Jane blurted out, unconscious of her use of Gwin's full name. "Not my fault Mum's never here because of her rotten blokes, not my fault Sam and Phillip decided to go off to university, I wasn't here to make that happen!"

"Exactly!" Gwin shouted. "You weren't here! You were so selfish as to run off into the sunset with your magic and leave your _family _behind!" Jane noticed that Gwin had stopped calling magic 'the stuff.'

"Selfish, is that what I am? Because I wanted to do something with my life, something that couldn't be denied? It's part of me!"

"No, because when you left for that school, you ruined everything. Mum wouldn't have been as depressed about Farnsworth if you were here—she loves you, she'd _fight _for _you_! The boys would've stayed, knowing there was something more to work for! But you were _gone_, Jane—I wanted to do something with my life, too, can't you see?"

Gwin and Jane stood in the kitchen for what seemed like an eternity, staring each other down. Finally, Jane broke the silence.

"I suppose I'll be going then. Tell Caprial and Neda that I had urgent business to attend to."

She heard Gwin whisper 'typical' as she vanished into the green flames.

"Back so soon?" Rose asked. "Did you forget something?"

Jane shook her head, her face crumpling as she ran up to the room she shared with Rose, Bianca, Perry, and Evinn. But she didn't find herself there.

Instead, Jane realised that she had gone up an extra floor.

_Wrong room._

Max Finnigan was alone in the room he shared with Al and Scorpius. He was shirtless, and throwing things everywhere.

"That bloody _Weasley_!" he was yelling. Jane knew that Al had cast _Muffliato _on the room a long time ago from Rose: if she had been but one room away, she wouldn't have been able to hear it.

She ran downstairs to find Louis.

All Max saw was a flash of an unmistakable long, dark braid. All he heard was the sound of light feet running away. He wondered how much Jane had heard. But they hadn't spoken since the day before her birthday; he had made sure to avoid her. Why should he care how much she had heard?

A few days before they went back to Hogwarts, the children staying at the Burrow (which included all of Rose and Al's siblings and cousins) received their letters. Since their parents were at school, the regulations had changed somewhat. There were now eighteen prefects per House: six seventh years, including the Head Boy and Girl, six sixth years, and six fifth years. The prefects that year were Rose, Max, Jane, Louis, and, according to McGonagall, two other girls. One was Madison Everard, a prissy girl whom none of them really liked. The other was Caroline Jordan, whom they barely knew, but Fred blushed at the mention of.

To Rose's displeasure, Scorpius Malfoy had been chosen as Slytherin prefect. The prefects got their own section of the castle. Rose had heard about it from her cousin Roxanne, who would be a sixth year prefect that year. There was a giant common room, three dormitories for the prefect girls, and three dormitories for the prefect boys. Each year, a Head Boy and Girl were selected out of the prefects, and they got a separate room leading off from the common room with a fancy bunkbed and several bookshelves.


	6. Fifth Year: Fifteen Years Old

On September 1st, Rose, Max, Jane, Louis, and Scorpius departed for the prefects' compartment, which was magically enlarged to hold all eighteen of them. The other five Slytherin prefects were Fancora Cadwallader, Alex Duvall, Adrian Zabini, Morgana Godelot, and Liraine Nott. The six Hufflepuff prefects were Honora Bobbin (a ditzy girl who practically stalked James: Jane wondered how she had become a prefect), Valentina Aesalon (Donaghan's girlfriend), Ian Godelot (Morgana's twin brother: they weren't exactly on good terms), Elisiana Goshawk, Oliver Meules, and Alice Longbottom (who was a great friend of Rose and Jane's, but held somewhat of a grudge against Louis for reasons they didn't care to guess). Jane barely knew any of the Ravenclaw prefects, but she registered their names in her mind anyway: Atticus Aymeslowe, Beatrice Wood, Jocunda Toothill, Jack Dillonsby, Gerard Corner, and Nigel Creevey.

"I didn't remember any of their names," Louis admitted when they had gone back, after patrolling instructions were given out, to their old compartment. "Except for one—I think—Liraine Nott?"

"You're such a tosser, Lou," Jane teased, elbowing him. Liraine Nott was 'a notorious slag,' according to Bianca.

"Bloody hell, we're almost there!" Rose shouted.

"Language, Rosie."

"Shut it, Al. C'mon, Bianca—Jane—Perry—Evinn—let's go get changed."

Jane kissed Louis quickly (at which Max pointedly looked away) and followed them to an empty compartment.

It was Jane's favorite kind of weather.

Not ridiculously hot, but humid, with torrents of rain pouring down on Hogwarts. They barely ever got that kind of weather, and she relished it, sitting in the middle of the courtyard and letting herself get soaked.

"You're going to stay there, sweetheart?" Louis yelled from his sanctuary under the roof. Of course, his precious blond hair couldn't be touched by the rain.

"Yes!" she replied.

"I'll see you at dinner, okay?"

"Why don't you come out?"

"I don't want to!" They had to raise their voices over the noise of the rain.

"I'll see you at dinner, then!"

"Love you!" Louis said before he left. Jane leaned against a pillar.

Did _she _love _him_?

A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. One she hadn't heard since the summer, and now it was...April. April, already?

"Why are you with him?"

It had been almost a year since she'd spoken to Max.

"Whatever do you mean?" Jane asked.

"I mean, why are you with him?"

He was clearly annoyed, which made Jane feel a little irritated herself.

"He's good-looking, nice, smart, and he makes me laugh. Why do _you _care?" she shot back.

"Smart? You call failing three of his classes 'smart?'"

"Why do you _care_?" Jane asked again.

"Why do you think?"

They stood there for a moment that seemed like an eternity, letting the rain drench them and plaster their hair to their faces.

"You were my best friend! And now you're just another one of his _slags_!" Max spat.

"We've been dating for nine months, if you haven't noticed! It's not like I'm his bloody one night stand!" Jane was screaming the words, but she couldn't hear herself. Max's words were sinking in like the deadliest poison, and making her weak on her feet.

"I've seen you two! You don't care about him!"

"What if I do?" Jane challenged. "What if I love him?"

Max stepped back as if she had stabbed him. And suddenly, he was gone.

He had just run away.

Jane ran down the opposite corridor until she reached the prefects' dormitory, knowing that he would be in the fifth year boys' room. But she had no intention of finding him.

She collapsed on the sofa in front of the fireplace, sopping wet and weeping, although she didn't know why.

All she knew was two things:

One, that Max hated her.

Two, that she didn't love Louis Weasley.

Max sat on his four-poster, thinking about what he'd said.

He didn't regret any of it, and that was so horrible about it. He knew that if any of the Weasleys heard about what he'd yelled at Jane, they'd have hexed him faster than blinking. Ever since that summer, when Jane had officially met Rose and Al's cousins and uncles and aunts, they had all adored her.

He had to apologize before he _really _lost his best friend.

Eventually, Max pushed the dormitory door open, and knocked on hers.

Rose answered.

"Hi, what's going on?"

"Is Jane in there?"

"No, sorry." She paused. "D'you mind telling me what the hell's going on between you two?"

"Nothing. I was just looking for her."

"I suppose 'nothing' is the reason why you haven't spoken since July?"

"We have spoken," Max said shortly.

"I see. And you, have you realised that you love her yet?"

He looked taken aback for a minute, then said "yeah" quietly.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"We're not on good terms."

"Make it right."

Rose slammed the door in his face.

Max made to leave the common room, when he saw her. Jane was lying on the sofa, fast asleep: her light chocolate-colored hair was still damp from the rain, and her breathing was slow.

'Fuck you, Finnigan," she whispered in her sleep, rolling over to face the sofa.

_I can't apologize, _Max thought miserably as he left to wander the castle. _I'll just have to put on my hard face and pretend to hate my best friend._


End file.
